College Years
by TheBlindfoldedCybertronian
Summary: When the Smashers get given invitations to attend a prestigious boarding school, what lies on the path ahead? Currently on hold.
1. Prologue

"So, Red, you considered the invite yet?"

"Hm? Oh, right, the invite to that Smasher's thing."

The pair were sitting at the top of a grassy hill, which overlooked the city of Pallet, their hometown. The quiet and peaceful village was currently shrouded in grey, signs that it was nearing dusk and evening was nigh. Dark clouds had gradually begun to form over the town, giving fair warning that a storm was on its way. Nevertheless, the duo continued their conversation.

"Well, have you thought about it, yet?"

"Yeah, I guess…" muttered Red, his body propped up against an oak tree, his mind deep in thought, "and I truly believe that going would be a great opportunity to see how Squirtle and Ivysaur perform against different opponents…but…"

"But what, Red?" queried Blue, Red's rival and childhood friend. "What is it?"

"This…this…this Smash College seems gruelling, I mean, you saw the letter, they were gonna invite at least 30 more applicants into the campus, all of which I have to face. Battling over 30 equally skilled fighters isn't exactly going to be a cakewalk. So the question is, Blue, am I up for it?"

"Yes, it is going to be a challenge, but I reckon you can handle it."

"Are you sure?"

"Well," pondered Blue, "There has to be a reason why the folks at the college selected you, right? I mean, if they'd known that you didn't have what it takes, then they wouldn't select you in the first place."

"I guess that makes sense," grunted Red.

"Plus," continued Blue, now beginning to stand up, "I can't recall how many times you and your Pokemon have bested me, and this is me we're talking 'bout."

The brunette stared at the luminous, azure sky, before turning back to his companion. "Red," he shrugged, "They don't call you 'The Fighter' for nothing."

Red stood up, and he too, gazed at the night sky, almost hypnotized by its beauty. "You know, Blue," he said, eyes still cast upward, "I'm gonna miss this place when I depart."

A single raindrop, rocketed down, and embedded itself into the ground next to Blue's left foot, dampening the soil. The two trainers then headed off, back down the hill, towards their respective houses. However, just as they entered the patch of wild grass that was positioned outside their town entrance, the clouds began to unload their full content down on Pallet, and the boys were heavily drenched, their once-dry clothes now water-clogged and sagging.

"Man," Red sighed, as they approached Blue's house, "My mother is gonna spank me for this."

"Wish I could stick around to see that," snuffed Blue, taking out the keys to his house, "But right now, I need a hot glass of milk, an even hotter shower, and a bed."

"You said it, bro. Well, see ya."

As the door clicked opened, and Blue stepped inside, about to bid goodbye to his friend, a thought suddenly occurred to him.

"Hey Red!" he yelled, halfway through his door, "When do you leave, anyway?"

"In two days," came the reply, "I'd better start packing!"

"Good luck, buddy!"

"Much appreciated!"

And with that, Blue closed the door, and Red hobbled towards his own house, and rang the door bell twice, thinking how his mother would react to his image, when would he see Blue again, and of course, what would he encounter when he reached Smash College.

**Notes: Good, bad, mediocre? Leave some reviews, readers, and I'll see you all in the next chapter! :D**


	2. Onboard the Halberd

The fabled flying warship known as the Halberd, soared gracefully through the skies of Dreamland, cutting through numerous packs of white, fluffy clouds, before finally breaking into clear airspace. The rear thrusters then gradually powered down, and the ship assumed a cruising speed.

From his position at the bridge tower, Lord Meta Knight, current captain and pilot of the Halberd, looked down at the view beneath him. The district of Dreamland was a pleasant sight from above; houses, with their diverse colouring and design combined with the lush greenness of the surrounding forest made up an impressive collage. The serene and undisturbed water of a nearby lake created an almost identical reflection of the Halberd as the airship passed over it.

_The Halberd, _thought Meta Knight, seeing the mirrored image underneath. _This is __**my **__Halberd._

The masked warrior then resumed control of the flying fortress, and continued to watch over the plains of Dreamland. As he manoeuvred the ship over the castle of the land's self-proclaimed King, an obnoxious penguin named Dedede, he noticed something out of the corner of his eye.

_What on earth?_

Meta Knight switched the ship from 'Manual' to 'Autopilot', and turned around, trying to determine the general location of where he had first seen…

Ah, yes. There it was.

It was an envelope, placed almost deliberately, on the table a few metres to his right. Meta Knight strode over to it, picked it up, and examined the paper up close. The envelope was rectangular shaped, and was simply labelled _'Meta Knight' _on the front. On the back, it was sealed by a single sticker which depicted an image of an oval shaped ball. The ball was multi-coloured, and had a single cross embedded in the centre.

Meta Knight, very curious to find out what lay inside the paper casing, extended an arm to his glistening golden sword, Galaxia, and without so much as a twitch, the sword master sliced open the envelope. A single sheet, fluttered out, and he caught it. The warrior cast his eyes downward, and read the letter.

**Dear Sir Meta Knight,**

**We have thoroughly researched your battle record, as you are one of the best fighters in your district , and have come to an appropriate conclusion that it would be our honour, to have you board the Smash College as a fighter for a year. There, you will make battle against 30+ equally powerful individuals (in some cases, perhaps duos). This campus will begin in approximately a week from today, and you will have to find your own way to get here. Once you arrive at the college, you will be briefed. An address and co-ordinates are listed below for your convenience.**

**Yours Sincerely M.H.**

**P.S. You may bring whatever equipment you believe is necessary.**

**(Please note that you may not be the only one in your district to receive this invite, as based on the information gathered, there may be more sent out to multiple worthy fighters within your district.)**

Meta Knight stared at the letter.

"A boarding college where I will reside, and battle other equally skilled fighters," thought Meta Knight out loud, recalling the text written in the missive given to him. "It seems like an excellent experience, and the message does look genuine. Yes, I do believe I should go, but first I should warn my crew that in a few days time, they shall be without a leader."

The armoured captain walked over to the bridge tower's PA system and, holding the invite notice in his hand, was just about to make an announcement, when the alarm klaxons suddenly blared. A small screen extended down from the roof of the bridge, and the face of a Blade Knight appeared. Meta Knight placed the microphone back down on top of the console, and strode over to the screen. The announcement would have to wait.

"What is it, soldier?" Meta Knight asked.

"Sir! Um…spotters stationed on the crow's nest outside have detected a high velocity object heading this way."

"Can I get a visual?"

"Well, sir, from your position, it should be coming into view, right about now."

Meta Knight dashed to the front windows, and, although it was far away, instantly recognised the entity that was speeding towards them.

The figure was riding on a bright yellow Warp Star, and possessed a round body; similar to that of Meta Knight's, only it's was pink and unarmoured.

As he grasped hold of Galaxia once again, Meta Knight muttered a single emotionless word.

"Kirby."


	3. Mystery Package

**Notes: Geezus, it's been ages, hasn't it? Sorry for the ridiculously long update , but I got dragged into an UFO (Unavoidable Family Outing) to somewhere in the southern ends of Victoria. Then, when I got back, almost 3 weeks later, and booted up to comp, it crashed. I've only now managed to get it working, and so, here's the next chapter – talkin' about Team Star Fox!**

It was a quiet day onboard the _Great Fox_, the legendary space aircraft carrier that housed the elite mercenary unit known as _Star Fox_. Fox McCloud, all-round pilot, skilled fighter and leader of the team, lay in the Recreation Room, sipping a cup of freshly brewed de-caffeinated coffee, whilst reading the 'Equipment' section in a digitised copy of the _Cornerian Times_.

Also in the Rec room, was Falco Lombardi, the squadron's ace pilot, who was currently immersed in a virtual simulation of a space battle, hence the abnormally large soundproof helmet covering his head, and the _Arwing _shaped pod he was sitting in. The peregrine falcon, unaware of his surroundings, and not considering any other being in the room that might enjoy a little bit of peace, was screaming and yelling curses, such as, "Whooooo! Take **that**, you freakin' alien scum," or, "Yeah, go ahead and run, you lil' slimed turd!"

Fox, obviously annoyed by the frequent outbursts of unconventional sound, looked up from his handheld.

"Hey, Falco," he said, "mind turning the volume down on that machine of yours, so I can actually read the paper?"

"WHAT?" yelled Falco, the sounds of laser bursts and explosions whizzing through his helmet, "I CAN'T HEAR YOU?"

"I said," decreed Fox, now standing up, his voice louder, "Turn the volume on that machine down!"

Falco still didn't get the message. "SORRY, BUDDY, BUT I STILL CAN'T HEAR YOU! I'M WEARING A SOUNDPROOF HELMET!" He tapped the ridiculously large box that encased his cranium. "SOUNDPROOF! SOUND DOESN'T GET IN!"

The bird pivoted back around, in his chair, towards the northern end of the pod, yet as he did, a shrill beep emerged from the console. Hearing it, Falco snapped up, his head instantly focusing onto the monitor in front of him.

This bore the words, 'Game Over'.

Falco Lombardi sighed from inside the _Arwing _pod, and disengaged himself from the cockpit. The ace pilot slowly stepped out onto the stairs leading down to the metallic coloured floor of the _Great Fox's _Rec Room, his movements odd and disoriented, probably after-effects of the virtual simulation.

He continued heading down, the odd foot wobbling time and again. Upon reaching the end of the staircase, Falco, lost his balance, and fell, headfirst, onto the steel plated ground.

"Oh crap," he mumbled, his voice partially muffled by his helmet, as he brought himself back to his feet.

From then on, the falcon strode clumsily, until he finally reached the nearest couch, on which he collapsed in a fumbling heap. The oversized headgear still lay on him.

Fox shifted a glance up from his paper to the pathetic figure of Falco, lying on the couch opposite his.

"Hey, you okay?"

"I've been better," came the tinny reply.

Falco's hands reached up towards his completely covered head, and the avian hoisted the massive helmet off, revealing a tired, sweat-streaked face, before lazily throwing the soundproof headset to the ground beside his feet.

"This…thing," groaned Falco, his gloved hand gesturing towards the toppled object below him, "is a **bloody bugger **to get to see through."

"Hm. So, how'd it go?"

Falco shot Fox a confused look. "Say what, now?"

"The virtual simulation, was it good?"

Falco shrugged, and was just about to respond to his friend's query, before the squeaky voice of the team's chief mechanic, Slippy Toad, exploded out of the mounted PA speakers above.

"_This is me, reporting from the bridge. Yeah, so, just an update on our current status, I've got visuals on our target destination, and our test fighters are prepped for deployment. At our current speed, touchdown time will be approximately 5 mins, excluding landing procedures. And I believe that will be…oh, wait, before I forget, all members please report to bridge. That's right; I need everyone at the bridge ASAP! Slippy, out."_

Fox placed his cup and console gently down on the table next to him, and then leapt up, walking briskly to the door. The automated panels slid open, revealing a silver rectangular corridor.

Fox revolved around and gave a nod to Falco. "You coming, pal?"

Falco, still sitting on the couch, returned Fox's stare. "Uh, yeah, just go ahead. I'll be there in a sec."

"Still feeling queasy, huh? Thought you were an ace, buddy."

"Whatever."

"Well, catch ya later." Fox stepped through the doorway, and jogged down the metallurgic hallway, heading towards the bridge.

…

…

As soon as the mechanized door closed itself, Falco Lombardi heaved his body off the plush sofa, and walked over to the storage table positioned at the Far East side of the Recreation Room, to gather his equipment and belongings together, before moving out to the control room himself.

"Okay," he said to himself, whilst examining the table in front, "My stuff…my stuff….ah, here it is."

Picking up two ray blasters and one reflector device, Falco shoved all three gadgets in his various pockets, and then pulled his combat jacket off the coat hanger, which he put to rest on his shoulder.

But as he did, something fell out of the jacket's left breast pouch. It floated silently down, making a small _swoosh _sound, as it came into contact with the floor. Falco, his trained ears ever alert, whirled his head around and instantly noticed, out of the corner of his eye, an envelope, of all things.

_What the hell?_

Falco used his left foot to propel the letter casing back into the air, before catching it in his hand. Twirling it around through his fingers, the ace pilot recorded a few key features that featured on the exterior of the envelope.

His name was printed on the front of it, in a plain font coloured black. Contrasting to that was the other side of the letter: the back. It had no words, or writing on it. No, there was just a single sticker, an oval shaped sticker, bearing a single cross in the centre. The entire sticker was multi-coloured; not unlike that of a rainbow.

The falcon, eager to see what was inside, proceeded to open the letter…

…but was interrupted by the announcement system, making another broadcast.

"_Urgent call for Falco Lombardi. Falco, please report to bridge immediately. I repeat, please report to the bridge."_

"Damn it," Falco muttered, slipping the unopened envelope into his left pants pocket, before scrambling out the door in a hurry.

**Notes: That will continue another time, and Falco will open his letter in due course. Expect an update sooner….or later! XD**


	4. The Greatest of Rivals

**Notes: New chapter, and the first fight of the story, between two residents from Dreamland. What was that, one and a half weeks? Better than last time, but I can do better…**

Meta Knight unsheathed his golden sword, and swung it with tremendous force, unleashing a wind-blast, that promptly shattered the entire massive windscreen, which exploded outwards, the individual shards of glass instantly being blown away by the winds outside. Upon destroying this, the Star Warrior, with his weapon grasped firmly in his right glove, and his dark-purple cape hanging limply off his back, leapt through the gap that was once a window, and emerged out into the open.

The masked warrior went into freefall the moment his entire rounded body exited the floor of the bridge room. With his arms outstretched, and legs wide open, Meta Knight fell quickly, his descent aided by the weight of the armour he bore. Wind assaulted his ears; his eyes, saw the image of the exterior steel plating below, approaching nearer.

_Not yet, Meta Knight, Not yet….okay, now!_

Then, just a few metres off the steel armour of the _Halberd_, Meta Knight's cape swiftly transformed into a pair of matching bat wings, and using these wings, he flapped them once, slowing his fall dramatically, after which he performed a mid-air uppercut, allowing him to reach to the uppermost point of his destination.

As Meta Knight's feet tapped quietly on the hardened metal surface that was, in fact, the barrel of the massive _'Combo Cannon' _[**For those of you who don't know the **_**Combo Cannon,**_** it's that thing on the **_**Halberd**_** stage in Brawl that fires the lasers, cannons and that extendable arm at you**] that lay directly in front of the bridge tower, he shifted his face towards the incoming object that now, much, much closer than before.

Kirby, both hands fixed on the bright yellow _Warp Star _that he used as his signature transport device, had assumed a streamlined position, complete with a dead set look on his face that gave away only one clue about his current feelings.

That he was serious.

The _Warp Star_ continued its journey, coming further into view, and Meta Knight, now at the very front of the_ Combo Cannon, _began to wonder the reason for Kirby's sudden appearance.

_Why are you here, Kirby? Why? What have I done that has made you react in such a fashion? Have I angered you in some way? What do you ultimately wish to achieve by attempting a frontal assault on my battleship? Could it be…_

Suddenly, an explosion occurred near the bow of the _Halberd_, and Meta Knight, returning back to reality, fixed his eyes towards the front of the craft, then seeing that no major impact had been made to it, turned them back towards the skies, and to his horror, realised that the atmosphere around him was bare.

Meta Knight, raised his sword in anxiety, and braced himself for combat, knowing that he could be attacked at any moment.

The swordsman lowered his blade in confusion, unsure of what his next course of action was to be. The attack hadn't come like he'd expected it to, so where was his opponent? The knight glanced around himself, searching left, right, forward and backward, just as…

A shadow loomed over him, briefly blocking Meta Knight's view of the sun, before landing a few paces behind of the cloaked dueller. Meta Knight reacted instantly, taking hold of his godly dagger and thrusting it at Kirby, but the pink puffball parried it, kicking Meta Knight's sword hand out of the way.

The armoured one, seeing as his weapon was temporarily unstable, countered with a vicious roundhouse kick, which connected, and sent his opponent flying off the _Combo Cannon_, down towards the _Halberd's _chromed roof below.

Kirby, however, managed to regain balance whilst still in mid-air, and landed, unscathed. He heard his own feet hit the ground, just as a loud whooshing noise alerted him to look upward.

_WHAM! _

The pink 'marshmallow' performed an instinctive barrel roll, before a sword shrouded in gold embedded itself in the ground exactly where his feet had been only moments earlier. A little later, and he would've been toast.

Immediately after, Meta Knight appeared almost out of nowhere, his rounded figure literally coming out of thin air, and, once again, took hold of the erected hilt, and wrenched the weapon from the _Halberd's _plating, expertly twirling it around in his gloved hand, and then pointed it, so that the blade was aimed directly at Kirby's body.

"Don't look too surprised, my friend," Meta Knight said, his hand still firmly held in mid-air, "You knew what would happen upon showing up, and now…"

Meta Knight wrapped his cape around himself, and disappeared, vanishing mysteriously.

Kirby, upon seeing the knight dissipate, instantly sprang into action, pulling out his own sword, holding it still and upright. Scanning the artificial battlefield around him, he could make out nothing regarding the whereabouts of his masked rival.

"….now, there is no escape. Your fate is sealed." The voice materialized into Kirby's ears from behind, and the puffball twisted around, raising his scimitar in defence, as a lethal knife lunge from Meta Knight slammed into his own, sending the latter skidding backwards, albeit still on his feet.

The knight continued his merciless assault on Kirby, executing brutal slashes and jabs, all of which were grimly held off by the determined pink puffball, blocking with his own sword.

"Very impressive…" Meta Knight said in-between blows, deeply admiring the skill of his adversary, "You seem to have improved your skills a notch…"

Blades clashed harder and harder, creating small sparks that ricocheted off the solid floor.

At this point, the smaller, less skilled, Kirby had started to get tired, and at one stage, he failed to block a powerful sword rush from Meta Knight. The attack pounded into him, sending his already battered body crashing into the base of the bridge tower.

Kirby lay crumpled, his eyes barely opened, with his arms flopped uselessly by his side. It had seemed that in the process of hitting the wall, his weapon had been flung clear of his hand.

Meta Knight, after unleashing his crushing blow, peered at the bridge tower, and noticing his rival was down and out of action, utilised his _Dimensional Cape_, to teleport himself right next to the spot where Kirby rested.

From Kirby's point of view, it was if a demon had descended upon him. Believing that a execution slash was upon him, the pink ball turned away in disgust. However, the sword that he thought was the be run through with, was, in fact, back inside Meta Knight's scabbard

"Kirby," Meta Knight said, looking down at his rival, "The reason I fought today was to defend my _Halberd _from subsequent destruction. Please, may I ask, why do you fight?"

Kirby shot Meta Knight a look of confusion, yet still, spoke. "I didn't come here to fight."

"I'm sorry?"

"I didn't come here to fight," Kirby repeated, "I came to ask questions."

"You didn't come here to fight…." Meta Knight's voice trailed off, his mind lost in thought.

"Yes. If you recall the fight before, I never landed an attack on you. No, I was only acting in self-defense, but," Kirby paused to gesture at his body, "self-defence can only get you so far against a swordsman of your calibre."

"But if you just wanted to ask a question, why didn't you say so?"

"Well, you **did **charge at me head on, before I had a chance to talk."

"What about during the fight? Couldn't you talk then?"

"Too busy concentrating on blocking your life-endangering moves."

"Right…forgive my rash actions, then. But now that we have ended our battle, tell me, my friend, what is it you seek?"

"Hang on…let me get it…..ah-ha!" Kirby fished out a white envelope from his pocket, "here it is!"

It was the exact same envelope that Meta Knight had received only moments before his crew had informed him of Kirby's arrival.

Meta Knight took a deep breath, before answering.

"You'd better come inside."

…

…

…

Whilst Meta Knight led the injured Kirby towards the bridge's alternative entry – the back door, something else occurred onboard the _Halberd_, in the engine room, located at the very bottom of the aircraft

Had any guards or men had been stationed at this sector, they would have noticed the emergency exit, a small floor panel embedded into the ground, fold open, and then, would have attacked whoever came through the entrance.

But for the figure that crawled up through the open gap, slid himself into the _Halberd's _engine room, and closed his entry route, no surprises lay in his wake.

So, seeing that the coast was clear, this figure walked his way towards the door, and opened it. He entered the impending corridor, and waddled down, his large stomach repeatedly bouncing with each step.

Some would call him large, others would call him majestic, but to most, he was a tyrant.

Yet, his size wasn't his most distinctive feature. Nor was his personality or status.

No, the most distinctive aspect of this figure was the item that lay in his gloved right hand.

That item; a ridiculously large mallet, with one star, engraved in the middle of the head.

**Notes: Well, after that chapter, I'm guessing you probably know who the mystery figure is. I made it quite obvious, didn't I? Anyway, guys, happy reading! Suggestions in reviews are appreciated!  
**


End file.
